Rail-contact circuit controller



March 9 1926.

J. E. CLOUGH ET AL RAIL CONTACT CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Oct. '11, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 mvrom mmrassrs March 9 1926. 1,576,175

. J. E. CLOUGH ET AL RAIL CONTACT CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Oct. 11, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Z2 \\\\\\I\\\/\\\\\ \\\\\r\ y i 7 42 30 45 I 7/, N 77 53 z 57 E 27$ 5 5 a March 9 1926. 1,576,175

J. E. CLOUGH El AL RAIL conmc'r cmcurr comnomsn Filed Oct. 11, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet s WITNESSES Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

BEST AVAILABLE COPY uni-TED STATES PATENT orrics. I

JAMES E. CLOUGH, OELA GRANGE, AND WILSON IL STILWELL AND ARTHUR R. FUGINA, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RAIL-CONTACT CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Application filed October 11, 1924. Serial No. 743,102

To all whom it ma concern: I

Be itlmown that we, J ES E. CLOUGH, WILSON H. S'rILwnLL, and ARTHUR R. FU- GINA, all citizens of the United States, the said JAMES E. CLoUeH residing at La Grange, in the county of Oldham and State of Kentucky, and the said TW ILSON H. STIL- WELL and ARTHUR R. FUGINA each residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, are the joint inventors of certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Contact Circuit Controllers, of which the following is a specification,- Our present invention relate to improvements on the device described in our former Patent No. 1,312,101 of August 5th, 1919, and relates to means for controllingelectric circuits, adapted to be actuated upon the depression of a rail by a passing train, which when primarily actuated upon the passing of a train in either direction, will not be changed by subsequent depressions of the rail, until the train has passed beyond the Zone of the device, and. which conse quently may be used on single track rail- ,w y I This invention as set forth broadly in the above named patent also applies to ourpresent invention, which only differs in the improved specific combinations and constructions herein specifically ointed out in the description in the speci cation and in the drawings, and consists, essentially as set out in the original patent above mentioned, in the combination with a railway track, having points disposed a spaced distance apart, in a rail thereof, and arranged to be depressed by each wheel passing along the rail, of circuit closing means positioned intermediate the depressible points. and havin mechanically operable connections therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide circuit controlling means of the character described, having a plurality of connections with a railway rail, and adapted to be actuated from a normal position, by an impulse received upon a depression of the rail at either of said connections, subsequent impulses due to a depression at either of said connections prior to a return to normal, tending to maintain the position assumed in obedience to the primary impulse.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a planview of a portion of a rail: way track showing an embodiment of the invention installed'in connection therewith,

the cover of the'control box being removed, I

Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same with the box cover in place,

Fi 3 is a side elevation (on an enlarged scale? of the spring plate in'position,

. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan of the spring plate in position,

' Fig. 5 is a lan view, with cover removed, ofthe contrdl'hbx containing the selective mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a section online 7-7 of'Fig. 6, vFig.8 is a section online 8-8 of Fig. 5, Figs. 9,10,11, and1'2, are eachfront elevations'of the essential parts of the selecting mechanism showing their successive positions during'acycle of operation in one direction, andv Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 16, are each front elevations of the essential parts of the selecting mechanism showing their successive positions during a cycle of operation in the 0pfposite direction.

Referring now to the drawings,.therein is shown a portion of a railway track, comprising a rail'11, of conventional design which is secured .to cross ties or sleepers 12, by suitable means. Tie plates 13, are secured to certain of the ties, and spring plates 14, are positioned between the tie plates and the rail, at right angles to the rail. The spring plates have a central arched portion 15, which yields under the weight of passing rolling stock, permitting a. depression of the rail of of aninch more or less. Each spring plate is retained in place by suitable means such as bolts 16, which pass through slots 17, extended in from the ends thereof, which permit extension of the plate as it flattens out, and through openings in the tie plate.

At a suitable point along the track a weatherproof controller box 19, is positioned, preferably between two cross ties, where it is supported by suitable means such as bars 20, in such a mannerthat the top of the box will be below the top of the adjacent rail. The box is provided with a removable cover 21. A suitable packing is placed in a space 22, between the cover and the upper edge of the walls of the box to BEST AVAILABLE COPY prevent the entrance of moisture. Pairs of pposit'ely' dispo'sed cars 23,?- 24' are secured to the sides of'the box.

A locking arm 25, is pivotally connected to ear-23and=an eye bolt 26 is pivotally connected to the ear 24. The cover" may be se cured in place by folding the locking arm there across and engagingeye'bol't' 26. nut 27, on the eye bolt is thenscrewed down against locking arm 25, forcing the cover dpwn. upon the .box. A: hasp.28,:which is hinged to nut 27 ,is then,turn'ed down and engaged withEstaple 29which. is part-of eye bolt 26,..and a locking element (not shown) such as a padlock inserted: through.- the staple.

- An upright plate 30,- iserected onth floor oftheaboxand. interiorly thereof and transversely. thereto which is held-in position by having a portion .41, constructed at. right angles to the uprightlsectioniandlseeured to the floor ofthe boxby suitable means such as bolts 78. Upon portion 41 aremouinted insulatingblocks 31:, which are securedin a horizontal position to. portion ll. by suitable ineanssueh as screws 32.. On blocks 31." are mountedcontactspri-ngs 33, 35,37, held in position by. and. in. electrical. contact with bolts 34,. 36, and 3-8 respectively, whichalso serve as binding posts for. the attachment of wires (not shown) carrying electric currents to-becontrolled, these wiresentering the. controller box. through. conduit coupling 40. Contact springs 33,35, 37 bear against and make electrical contact with the surface of metal plates or segments 75, secured to cylinders (6, which are free. toturn on their axes, their motion being limited and controlled by cranks 77, which are securedto them. The electric currents are controlled as these cranks .are moved or heldv in.posi tion as the case may be by pins 43 projectingifromweights 39 'and 42 which are pivotany supported by bolt 45. and fall by gravit'y againstthe stops 79. Pins 44 which proj ect from weights 3-9 and. 42 protrude through openingsSl and 82 of links 46 and 47 respectively, and bolt 45 through openings 83 and 84 of links 46 and. 47 respect'ively which are-pi-votally conn'ected'by pin 80.. Theselinks have hooks 85 and 86 secured'totheir sides. Secondary levers. 48 and 49" are ivot"ally. supported by bolt 45, have secured fhereto selector tips. 64 and respectively and openings 95 and'.96 respeceve-1y therein. At spaced distance from the controller box, on each side thereof, brackets 50, are positioned, andare secured to the tie plates on which the spring plates are located in proximity to the rails. These brackets comprise parallel spaced walls. 51 and 52, joi'nedby an arched portion 53' and a base 54, extended. from the wall 52, by means ofwhic'h. they are attached ,to the tie plates.

A pipe 55, extends along the rail, from the box to thebracle't, one eird o'li the pipe being received in a projection or b'oss'56 on the ho andthe other end in the wall 51, of the bracket- A shaft 57, is run through. the pipe'a'nd projects into the boss. The outer end of the shaft is journaled in the wall 52 of the bracket and-the inner end in a boss 58 on the inner side of the wall of the box. A dog 59', is secured on the shaft between the walls of the bracket, by suitable means, such as ataper pin, and toe 60, thereof bears upon the flange of the rail. A primary lever 61 isslippedon cachof the shafts,- the opposite ends the levers 61 beinginserted in slots 95 and 96 of secondary selector levers 48 and 49 respectively and adjusting dogs and 'Tl-are then secured to the ends of these shafts by suitable means such as ataper pin or a bolt 63, the object otthesei dogs being to prevent the, primary levers fronrturning on. the shafts A set screw 73 and a-check nut 74 are secured to. adjusting dogs 70 and 71 for adj listing, purposes. A pin 66, erected on the floor of the box extends upward and a spring 68, disposed. ahoulz'the pin and bearing respectively against the floor. and in the socket .67 which is sccuredf to the lower side of the primary lever tends to force the latter. upward. This-movement is" resisted b the dogs 59' which bear ujon the rail. iearrangement' is such that tie movement of the levers is controlled by the deflection of the rail which in turn is actuated by the passage of'th'e rolling stock. The relative positions of the dogs 59 and the primary levers 61.011 the shaftsris such that when the rail is in it's normal, or elevated position, the primary levers are: in their lowest position.

As a train approaches the apparatus, say in. the direction of arrow A, the Wei ht tliereofiovercoming. the tension of the spring plate depresses the rail" whereupon the dog at thatpoint being free to move, the spring 68 will force the corresponding primary lever upward,- moving, selector tip 64, which is part of secondary selector lever 48, upward,..eng agi n hook 85, of link 46, as shown in Fig.- 10. Then as selector tip 64 continues to move upward, selector link 46 and counterwei 39 are turnedon their axis 45 causing lin 47, which is secured to link 46 by pivot 80, to slide toward-the left.

As the trainpasses over the plate, on the other side of the box, it depresses the rail at that point andthe corresponding primary lever is raised by its spring. 68,- as is also secondary selector lever 49 with its selector tip 65 but asselector link 47 has moved to the left the selector tip does not en age hook 86- As a result counterweight 421s not lifted and in turn crank 77 which operates the circuit. controller, is not actuated;

When the rearmostl wheel of a train passes over the depressible point in the railonthe circuit controller.

near side of a selector-box the rail at that point will return to its normal position and through the medium of the dog 59, and shaft 57, will lower the associated lever 61 disengaging it from the selector link 46 which would then endeavor to return to its normal position, due to the action of the counterweight and releasing link 47 which would tend to return to its normal position being prevented however by tip 65 as can be seen in Fig. 12, which is upheld by reason of the train passing over the depressible point on the far side of the selector-box, which controls When the rear-most wheel passes over the depressible point on the far side of the selector-box, the selector tip 65 actuated therefrom will be lowered allowing links 46 and 47 to return to their normal positions by action of the counterweights, ready for actuation by a train approaching from either direction.

Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive show the successive positions of the selectors for a train passing in the direction of arrow 0. It will be seen that the movements are identical with those shown in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, which have just been described, except that they occur in reverse order and that in this case crank 77 is actuated thus operating the In order to simplify the description only one crank, for operating the circuit controller, has been shown butit is clear that one may be used on each side and in many cases in practice both are necessary while in other cases only one is required.

Our invention is economical in construction and installation, is efficient in operation, and use, it is durable in service and dependable in operation, and possesses a marked degree of utility.

l/Vhat we claim as new in our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus as characterized, a box, contacts therein, a movable segment, a crank, a pair of pivoted counterweights, a pin extending from said counterweights engaging said crank, a pair of slotted selector links secured to said counterweights, secondary selector levers, selector tips, secured to said secondary selector levers, primary selector levers to engage respectively with opposite secondary levers to turn the segment on its axis, shafts to the inner ends of which said levers are secured, a rail adapted to be depressed at points spaced each way from the box and a dog secured on the outer end of each shaft, atoe of the dog bearing on the rail in proximity to the depressible point and opposing movement of the levers except when the rail is depressed.

2. In a circuit controller as characterized, a rail adapted to be depressed at given points by passing trains, a plurality of contacts, a segment, a member adapted to rotate said segment, a complementary member not adapted to rotate said segment, means adapted to be brought into engagement with said member to rotate the same and shifting complementary member to prevent other means from engaging said complementary member, and mechanical operative connections between said means and said depressible points in the rail whereby movement of the rail permits functioning of the .means.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures at the city of Louisville, in Jefi'erson County and State of Kentucky, this 4th day of October, 1924.

JAMES E. CLOUGH. WILSON H. STILWELL. ARTHUR R. FUGINA. 

